Steel retainer for rock drills



lc. c. HANSEN, l -STEEL RETAINER FOR ROCK DRILLS ,Filed April 22, '192s July -20 1926. 1

Patented July 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT Oriucr..v

CHARLES C. HANSEN, -OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN OR TO INGERSOLLRAND COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A

CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.'

STEEL RETAINER FOR ROCK DRILLS.

Application filed April 22, 1926. Serial No. 103,903.

This invention relates to rock drills, but more particularly to a steel retainer for rock drills of the hand held type.

The Objects of the invention are to prevent accidental ejection ot the drill steel v from the front head and to construct a rugs ged and efficient steel retainer capable Ot' withstanding the severe usage to which de.- vices of this character are constantly subjected.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention consists or' the combination of elements and arrangement Ot parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional elevation of the front end of a rock drill equipped with a steel retainer' constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention and showing the retainingl block in retaining position,

Figure 2 is an elevation ofthe front end of a rock drill, partly broken away, showing the retaining block removed Jfrom the path of the drill steel,

Figure 3 is a transverse view taken through Figure l on the line 3-3 looking inthe direction of the arrows,

Figure 4l is a perspective view of the retaining block, and

Figure 5 is an elevation taken on the line 5-5 on Figure l looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown embodied in a rock drill, only the front end of which is shown, and having a cylinder A in which is arranged a reciprocatory piston B. A front cylinder washer C forms a closure for the front end of the cylinder A and also serves to centralize a front head D with respect to the cylinder. The cylinder A, the front head D and the front cylinder washer C, which coinprise the casing of the rock drill, may be held or secured to each other in any suitable manner. In the present instance, side bolts E are employed for this purpose and are cushioned by springs F seating at one end on nuts G and at their other ends against lugs H formed on the front head D.

An additional function of the front cylinder washer C is to also serve as a guide for an anvil block J adapted to transmit the blows or" the hammer piston B to a drill steel K inserted in the front head D. The drill steel K in this instance is or hexagonal torni and the front head D is accordingly providedwith a hexagonal bore L to slidably receive the drill steel and to prevent relative rotation between the drill steel and the front head. A collar O carried by the drill steel K is reciprocable in a bore l) formed in the front end of the front head D coaxial with the bore L.

In accordance with the present invention` an enlargement Q is formed at the front end Oi the `front head D and on one side thereof. A guideway R is formed in the enlargement Q torthe reception of a retaining block S. The retaining block S is` preferably provided with a recess T to partly encircle the drill steel K and has a notch U on its rearward face to form a shoulder V against which the collar O of the drill steel K may rest when the drill steel is being removed from the work, such as the rock lV.

Suitable means are provided for normally holding tlie retaining block S in the retaining position illustrated in Figure l. To that end a resilient member X which may be a round wire, as illustrated, or oic any other suitable cross sectional form, is extended through an aperture Y formed near the rearward end of the retaining member S and is provided at its forward end with a loop Z which may be grasped by the attendant lfor removing the retaining block from the path of the collar O.

To the end that the resilient member X may be suitably secured to the front head D, a lug o is formed on one side of the front head and is provided with a slot c i'or the reception of the said resilient member. A plat-e d in this instance is secured to the lug o by means of suitable screws e and has a similar slot f which registers with the slot c to form a guide guideway for the resilient member X. The guideway thus' formed is preferably of slightly larger diameter than the resilient member X to permit the said member X to slide freely in the slots. In order to prevent the resilient member X from being drawn out of the slot c and f, a hook g may be formed on'the rearward end of the resilient member to engage the plate d when the retaining block S is in retaining position.

The foregoing described retainer may be readily. assembled and mounted on the rock drill. In assembling. same, the loop ZA may be passed through the aperture Y, which aperture, it will be noted, is oit considerably larger diameter than the resilient member X. After the resilient memberX has been inserted in the aperture Y, thebloelr S mayv be placed in the guidevvay R and the hooked end of the member X may thenbe inserted in the slot c and the plate d placed' on the ingl block C- rearwardly through the guideway to the position et the retaining;` blocky'shown in Figure 2.

shoulder V will be. removed from the pathl In this positioirthe o'l the collar O and thedrill steel may be freely Withdrawn from the iront head. After the drill vsteelv has iig/ain been inserted -in the iront head, the loop LA may be released and, owing to the resiliency ot the member X, said nien'iber Will again actuate the retaininso"` block S to the retaining; posi tion illustrated in Figure l.

With the retaining block S in the'retaining` position, the shoulder V will serve as a stop against which the collar G. may strike in case the. rock drill be accidentallyv set in operation While the drill: steel is beingv removed from the work. It will alsdbe noted that when the retaining` block S is` Withdrawn a sutlicient distance to permit-witlr draw-al of the drill steel from the front head., the resilientmember willl be caused: to slide. rearwardly through the guideway formed by the slots 0 and fthus readilyy adjustingci its'position with respect to vthe retaining,` block.

The present invention has been. found to function in an efficient manner and comprises only` a teiv parts which are. simple and inexpensive to manufacture and maybe readily replaced in case of breakage., or excessive. Wear. f

I claim:

l. In aV steel retainer for rock drills, the

block slidable in. the gfuideivay 'for.retainingr the. steel .in the front head, a lug. on the front head, and resilient means slidable through the lug and the block for holding.

said block. in retaining. position.

3. In a steel retainer for rochA drills, the con'ibinal ionof a trout head, and adrill steel in the front head, an enlargement on the iront head. ha Afing; an inclined guidevvay, a retainino block slidable inthe guideivayand recessed at one end.l to. partly encirclev the drill steel for retainingsaid steel in the.

liront head, a. lu` onthe. 'front head hai/ingr. a slot, a plate secured` to the lug' having,` a slot to register with theslot in the lug, and a resilient member slidable iii the slots and throng-h the block :tor actuating` said block into retaining' position.

el. In a steel retainer for rock drills, the combination of a front head and a drill steel in the i'i'ont hea-d, a collar on the drill steel, an enlargement at the. front end of' the/iront he d having` a rearwardly int-lined slot, a retaining block slidable in the `ruideway and recessed at its inner end to partly encircle the drill steeh said block having a notch forming a shoulder to extend `into the path of the collar ot the steel for preventing ejection of the steel from the. front head, a lug on the front head having a slot, a plete fastened to the lug havinga slot to register with the yslot inthe lug, a resilient member slidable through the slots and the. block Jfor holding said blockA in, retaining` position, and a loop on said lmember tor, moving the block out of retaining. position.

In,v testimony whereof Ilhave signed this specilication.

CHARLES C. HANSEN. 

